Committed To The Cross - 1:14-17

Introduction

As we begin this morning I want us to contemplate three questions.

What is at the center of my life?

Do I believe and declare the clear gospel?

How is Christ transforming me?

PRAY

What does it mean to be committed to something?

I remember first learning how to knee board. For those who don’t know, knee boarding is when you are pulled by a boat, out on a lake and you are on a kind of 1/4 size surf board with a strap that goes over your knees. Hence the name.

After a few tries I managed to get up on the board and off we went. As I got more confident I decided to try and jump off the wake a little bit.

As I was coming down, my weight shifted forward and the nose of the board plunged straight into the water.

In my panic I momentarily forgot one very important thing.

I forgot to let go of the rope.

After being pulled several feet through the water, it slipped from my grasp.

Not letting go of the rope is picture of what commitment is like.

When we are committed, we hold on even when it feels like we are drowning.

History, provides us with ample evidence of commitment.

One of the more famous examples is found in the life of Thomas Edison.

The story goes that he failed over 1,000 times in his effort to make the light bulb. When asked about it he said this, “I have not failed. I merely discovered 1,000 ways not to make a light bulb.”

That is one form that commitment can take.

Persistence in the face of difficulty.

However, commitment has another form.

There is a book, other than the Bible, that I believe every Christian should read.

It is called “Foxes Book of Martyrs” by John Foxe. This book begins with the martyrdom of the apostles and works its way through history recording many instances where Christians gave their lives because of their commitment to Christ and their unwillingness to compromise the gospel.

Let me share just one story with you from page 40.

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs The Tenth Persecution, under Diocletian, A.D. 303

In the year 304, when the persecution reached Spain, Dacian, the governor of Terragona, ordered Valerius the bishop, and Vincent the deacon, to be seized, loaded with irons, and imprisoned. The prisoners being firm in their resolution, Valerius was banished, and Vincent was racked, his limbs dislocated, his flesh torn with hooks, and he was laid on a gridiron, which had not only a fire placed under it, but spikes at the top, which ran into his flesh. These torments neither destroying him, nor changing his resolutions, he was remanded to prison, and confined in a small, loathsome, dark dungeon, strewed with sharp flints, and pieces of broken glass, where he died, January 22, 304. His body was thrown into the river.

There is one particular phrase in there that is so powerful. “These torments neither destroying him, nor changing his resolutions, he was remanded to prison.”

That is commitment.

When we are committed, we hold to the object of our commitment no matter what.

We hold onto the rope even when we feel like we're drowning.

Commitment to the Cross of Jesus Christ comes with a high cost.

Are we willing to pay it?

As the body of Christ we must be committed to the Cross.

When we are committed to the Cross, we keep Christ central and the gospel simple.

As Paul writes the Corinthians here, he is arguing against their sectarianism.

They have separated themselves based on what teacher they like best.

Paul has begun to correct the error in their thinking by giving them three reminders.

Christ is not divided.

Paul was not crucified for them.

They were not baptized in Paul’s name.

Now he takes these reminders a step further by giving a proper emphasis on baptism and distinguishing between salvation and baptism.

We are not to be committed to people or to baptism. We are commited to the Cross!

Being committed to the Cross brings transformation and bold proclamation.

To be committed to the Cross, Paul challenges the Corinthians to take two actions.

Action #1…

1. Emphasize The Centrality Of Christ vv. 14-15

What do a Cadbury egg, a custard filled doughnut, a volcano, a Hot Pocket, and a burrito all have in common?

With all of these things, its what’s at the center that matters most.

Anyone who has ever taken a bit out of fake fruit knows that.

I happen to strongly dislike solid bars of chocolate.

I like there to be something in the center of my chocolate.

As children, many of us ate tootsie pops.

When you ate a tootsie pop, the goal was always to get to the center because that’s where the good stuff is!

The Christian life is like that.

Believers in Jesus Christ are described as His body. He is the head.

The head is the most important part of the body because it controls everything else.

Any time the head is not in control, a dangerous condition is created.

Paul is reminding these believers, reminding this church that Christ is to be central.

When I place myself ahead of Christ I make the Cross useless.

How do we emphasize the centrality of Christ?

We adjust our focus.

Paul gives us two ideas to focus on.

Idea #1…

a. Focus on the declaration v. 14

READ v. 14

1 Corinthians 1:14 NKJV

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

Let me mention who these men are.

Crispus was the ruler of the Synagogue before Sosthenes. He came to Christ and was replaced. We learned about this in Acts 18.

Gaius became a companion of Paul and apparently hosted the church in Corinth. He is mentioned in Acts and Romans and possibly 3 John.

Paul baptized these two men.

To fully understand this verse we need to remember that Paul mentioned baptism in v. 13.

Paul is thanking God that he did not baptize very many Corinthians.

Why?

Why is this a source of thanksgiving for Paul?

Because had he baptized more of them, it would have intensified the conflict in this church.

Think of it, “I was baptized by Paul.” “Oh yeah? I was baptized by Apollos.” “Guys, come on. I was baptized by Peter.”

Paul is thankful that he only baptized a few of them because he didn’t want the focus to be on the wrong thing.

Let’s be clear. Who you are baptized by doesn’t really matter.

The important thing is what’s happening when someone is baptized.

When someone is baptized they are making a declaration of faith.

It shouldn’t be about who baptized them. Rather, it should be about the statement they are making.

This is the focus we are to have. We are to focus on the declaration, on what baptism means, not the baptism itself.

Why?

Because baptism isn’t about you, it isn’t about who baptizes you, it is about Christ! It is about the believer identifying with Christ!

Paul doesn’t want the baptism of those in the Corinthian church to be about him!

With that thought in mind, it is important to understand what baptism is and what it is not.

Baptized – βαπτίζω (baptizō) baptize. To wash, purify, or dip. To momentarily dip someone into water as a cleansing, ceremonial, and initiatory rite.

Baptized – βαπτίζω (baptize)

We believe in baptism by immersion. Meaning, we put you all the way into the water.

Why? Because that’s what the word means. Because that’s what was practiced in Jesus’ time. And because baptism is a symbol of our death and resurrection with Christ.

When someone is baptized it is a public declaration of a desire to follow Christ and live for Him.

It is asking all those in the local church to hold them accountable for their faith.

Because of what baptism is, the Biblical model is for believers to be baptized by immersion.

Paul offers thanksgiving in v. 14 that he only baptized Crispus and Gaius. Why?

Because who baptizes you doesn’t matter.

There are some churches that teach you must be baptized in their denomination before you can be a member or take communion.

That is not an idea found in Scripture.

If you were baptized as a believer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, your baptism is Biblical.

Some think baptism has to be done by a church leader. That is not the case. It needs to be done by another believer. Not necessarily by a leader.

How do we know these two ideas are false? Look at what we call the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19-20.

Matthew 28:19-20

Matthew 28:19–20 NKJV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Is this a commission for all believers? Yes or no.

If this is a commission for all believers, than any believer can baptize another provided two conditions are met.

Condition 1 - Both the person being baptized and the person performing the baptism must have a clear testimony of salvation by faith in Christ.

Condition 2 - The baptism must be done as a public declaration of faith in Christ and in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Personally, I love when a father gets to baptize his children.

That being said, I don’t believe I would have a Biblical objection to a mother baptizing her children.

I do believe it is important to have a local church as part of the process so that the aforementioned conditions can be met.

Why are we talking about this? Because Paul is making a point. The point is, it doesn’t matter who baptizes you. What matters is why you are being baptized.

A final false teaching about baptism is that it is a necessary part of salvation.

We’ll deal with that a little bit more in v. 17, but for now just think about what Paul is saying here in this verse.

If baptism were essential for salvation, Paul would be thanking God that he hadn’t led most of them to the Lord!

It is the reality of your baptism that matters. Not who does it or what church it was in.

If we are to emphasize the centrality of Christ, we cannot be concerned with who did your baptism or where it was done. We must instead concern ourselves with the reality that a follower of Jesus Christ has chosen to make a public declaration of their faith. They have committed to following Him and walking in obedience to His Word. As their brothers and sisters in Christ we are now called to help them, support them, confront them, and fight alongside them.

Interestingly enough, I had a couple people ask me about baptism this week.

If you have never been baptized and would like more information about it, let me know. We will likely be having a baptism Sunday fairly soon.

We are committed to the Cross. Therefore, we emphasize the centrality of Christ.

When it comes to baptism, the centrality of Christ is seen when we focus on the declaration it makes and not on who is doing it.

Christ needs to be at the center of all that we do.

When He is at the center of our personal lives, we have our priorities in order and we are able to focus on what matters most.

When He is at the center of our friendships, we will build up our brothers and sisters in Christ and point those who are not believers towards Jesus.

When He is at the center of our parenting we will remember that survival is not enough. We must train our children to live out the gospel in a world that is hostile to it.

When He is at the center of our marriage we show a confused world what love really is. Love is commitment when the going is tough. Love is choosing to move forward even when it hurts. Love is unconditional.

When Christ is central we declare Him in every area of life.

It isn’t about people, leaders, or even ourselves.

The Christian life is about Christ.

As we emphasize the centrality of Christ, we focus on two ideas.

Idea #1. Focus on the declaration.

Idea #2…

b. Focus on the dedication v. 15

READ v. 15

1 Corinthians 1:15 NKJV

15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.

The reason for Paul’s thanksgiving in v. 14 is revealed here.

He didn’t want to be accused of baptising in His own name.

Paul has Christ at the center of his life and ministry.

Because Christ is central, Paul didn’t baptize in his own name.

He was making disciples of Christ not disciples of Paul.

This takes us back to the Great Commission. We baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Why? Because we are dedicating the believer to them.

It is the Godhead that accomplishes the salvation of the believer.

What Paul says here strikes right at the heart of the Corinthian conflict.

They have been contending over which leader they like better.

Paul reminds them that they were not baptized as followers of men.

We want believers to become devoted followers of Christ.

Disciples of Christ. Not followers of Paul! Not disciples of Jon Winkelman.

Paul reminds the Corinthians that Christ is to be our example in all things!

He is the one we follow.

He is our master, our Lord, our head. We move at His direction.

That is why it would be such an issue to baptize in ones own name.

Go to 1 John 2:3-6.

1 John 2:3-6

1 John 2:3–6 NKJV

3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

We are called to keep the commandments of Christ.

We are to obey the Word, abide in Christ, and walk as He walked.

When Christ is the center of our lives we are dedicated to Him.

The Corinthian church needed to be reminded of who exactly they had been called to follow.

We are called Christian’s because we are to be little Christs.

In Romans 8:29 Paul reveals what we have been predestined for.

Romans 8:29

Romans 8:29 NKJV

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Part of the purpose of our salvation is conformity to Christ.

We are to be like Him.

As we emphasize the centrality of Christ, we focus on two ideas.

Idea #1. Focus on the declaration.

Idea #2. Focus on the dedication.

To be committed to the Cross, Paul challenges the Corinthians to take two actions.

Action #1. Emphasize the centrality of Christ.

Action #2…

2. Embrace The Clarity Of The Gospel vv. 16-17

I need some volunteers.

I am going to give you directions and you will do exactly what I say. Okay?

— Have kids come up and give them totally unclear directions.—

Go.

Turn.

Backwards.

One leg.

Turn.

Wave.

Hop.

Go.

Turn.

Windmill.

Stop.

Was that easy? Was it confusing? Did it look like chaos?

A lack of clarity inevitably leads to confusion.

When the gospel message is not clear, it leaves people confused and in doubt.

The result is people who are unsure about their salvation and confused about their direction and destination.

We don’t want people confused.

Here is a difficult truth.

When I stray from the clear gospel I make the Cross useless.

Paul wants there to be absolute clarity on what the gospel is and is not.

To that end he calls the Corinthian church to make two clarifications.

Clarification #1…

a. Clarify the priority v. 16

READ v. 16

1 Corinthians 1:16 NKJV

16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other.

Later in ch. 16 Paul reveals that Stephanas was the first person to be saved in the region of Achaia, which is where Corinth was.

Again we note that Paul is emphasizing how few people he baptized.

I want to make it clear that He is not emphasizing this because baptism is unimportant.

He is striving to help the Corinthian church understand that who baptizes you is not as important as the baptism itself.

Here’s the point.

The gospel isn’t about baptism.

The gospel is about transformation.

Look with me at Colossians 1:9-14.

Colossians 1:9-14

Colossians 1:9–14 NKJV

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is not that they would be baptized. He assumed they would.

His prayer is that they would live for Christ!

Now, baptism is an important part of that. It is a public declaration that we want to follow Jesus!

It is a stake in the ground that we belong to Christ!

Because we belong to Christ it changes our minds. Paul prays for knowledge and wisdom and spiritual understanding.

It changes our activity. We walk worthy, we strive to please the Lord, we bear spiritual fruit as we do good works and grow in the knowledge of God!

It changes our ability. Christ gives us strength to be patient and longsuffering with joy!

It changes our outlook. We are now thankful because of what God has for us. We have an inheritance!

It changes our allegiance. We are taken from the power of darkness to the kingdom of Christ!

It changes our status. We are no longer guilty. We are redeemed and forgiven!

Paul doesn’t emphasize baptism because baptism is not the point of the gospel!

The gospel is about a change of destination.

It is about a transfer of kingdoms, a transition in citizenship, and about a shift in identity.

We were headed on way, now we are headed the opposite, we were moving toward destruction, now we move toward life.

We are completely, absolutely, unequivocally, and irreversibly changed!

That’s the point Paul is making. His ministry is not about baptism. It is about the gospel!

It is about the life transformation that happens when Christ becomes the center of our lives.

The priority of the gospel is the transformation of the believer.

Have you been transformed?

Has the gospel impacted your personal life? Here’s what I mean.

When we come to Jesus the entire purpose of our existence changes. That change is then manifested in our lives.

Maybe we used to live for parties and the supposedly good times offered by the pleasures of this world.

Once we are saved we no longer live for our own pleasure. We live to please Christ.

What pleases Christ, as we saw in 1 John, is obedience to His Word.

Has the gospel impacted your friendships? This doesn’t mean we refuse to talk to our friends about anything other than Jesus.

What it means is that our friends understand what the most important thing in our lives is.

Because of how we treat them, because of how the love of Christ is so obvious in our lives, our friends ask us the reason for the hope that is in us.

Has the gospel impacted your parenting? Many parents only want to survive the time until their kids leave the house.

That is not what Scripture calls us to. Parenting is to be the intentional training and preparation of our children to live for Christ in a world that rejects Him.

This means we teach them personal responsibility, boundaries, and the reality of consequences.

Has the gospel impacted your marriage? The commitment a Christian makes in marriage is “till death do us part.”

We are a picture of Christ and the Church. This means we forgive, we love, we correct, we respect, and we grow together.

This is the practical side of what Paul is saying. This is where the rubber meets the road.

Baptism is a part of the priority of the gospel, but it isn’t the whole thing.

The gospel changes our lives.

The gospel changed the life of Stephanas. Look at 1 Corinthians 16:15.

1 Corinthians 16:15

1 Corinthians 16:15 NKJV

15 I urge you, brethren—you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints—

This family that Paul baptized became devoted to ministry.

The gospel changed their lives.

How is the gospel changing you and me?

Two clarifications are needed as we embrace the clarity of the gospel.

#1. Clarify the priority.

#2…

b. Clarify the presentation v. 17

READ v. 17

1 Corinthians 1:17 NKJV

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

This is the capstone of the section.

God did not send Paul to baptize.

Paul was sent to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are several things I want to look at here.

Paul was sent.

Send – ἀποστέλλω (apostellō) send; send out. to dispatch. To send away towards a designated goal or purpose.

Send – ἀποστέλλω (apostellō)

Paul has been dispatched with a designated goal and for a specific purpose.

He has been sent by Christ.

Paul has been sent by the Messiah, by the anointed one.

He has a commission, given to Him by His master.

This is not something Paul can ignore. It is not a commission to be taken lightly or treated carelessly!

This is a responsibility given by almighty God!

What is it?

Paul first tells us what that goal is not.

Not to baptize.

Paul’s calling, his commission from God is not to baptize.

The next word is an adversative conjunction. What that means is Paul uses this word but to present a contrast.

Instead of being sent to baptize, Paul has been sent to preach the gospel.

This adversative conjunction is very important. Why?

Because That one word disproves baptismal regeneration.

Baptismal regeneration is the teaching that in order to be saved you must be baptized. The belief is that those we have not been baptized are not saved.

However, with this one word, Paul makes it clear that this is not true.

Baptism is not part of the gospel.

They are two different things.

This does not mean baptism is unimportant.

Here’s what it does mean.

Baptism is not necessary for salvation.

Paul clearly distinguishes between the gospel and baptism.

Let me just remind all of us that words like this are why we believe in verbal plenary inspiration.

Every single word of Scripture is inspired, every single word is equally inspired.

The gospel needs to be clear.

Baptism is not part of the gospel.

Therefore, to be clear, a gospel presentation should not include baptism.

Baptism is something to be discussed after someone has trusted in Christ.

Scripture is clear that baptism is something done by believers for believers.

This is the first qualifier Paul gives.

He has been sent to preach the gospel which does not include baptism.

There is a second qualifier here.

The gospel is not a script crafted by human wisdom.

This particular word translated wisdom has the idea of a finite wisdom or ability.

This is what Peter refers to in 2 Peter 1:16.

2 Peter 1:16

2 Peter 1:16 NKJV

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

The gospel is not a formula that you follow. It is not an eloquent speech that the disciples cobbled together.

Paul will address this idea more fully in chapter 2.

For now we only need to know that the gospel message is not about the word’s we say. It is about the message those words convey.

Paul has been sent by God to preach the clear gospel message.

He was not sent to baptize. He was not sent to deliver a bunch of carefully crafted words.

Paul ends the verse by declaring that when we make the gospel about baptism or about specific words, we make the Cross useless.

The phrase “should be made of no effect” is one Greek word.

No effect – κενόω (kenoō) empty; render void. to be nullified. To be made or become devoid of significance or point; become pointless.

No effect – κενόω (kenoō)

What point is Paul making?

If all salvation requires is a dip in water or a particular set of words, Christ died for nothing.

Salvation doesn’t come through baptism.

Salvation doesn’t come through words of human wisdom.

Salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!

The clear gospel is salvation by grace through faith.

Paul wants the Corinthian believers to be reminded that salvation is not about who baptized you, it’s not about what Christian leader you like best.

Salvation is about the Cross of Jesus Christ!

The Cross is an instrument of suffering and death. We have been called by Jesus Christ Himself to deny ourselves, take up our Cross, and follow Him.

We must stop wasting our energy on arguments that don’t matter.

What matters is not what human leader we follow. What matters is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The gospel is not baptism.

The gospel is not fancy words.

The gospel is the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

What is at the center of my life?

Do I believe and declare the clear gospel?

How is Christ transforming me?

As we went through the message this morning I mentioned a few areas of commitment.

Let me just state a few thoughts.

Personal - When Christ transforms my personal life I am no longer concerned about comfort, I am focused on pleasing Christ. A commitment here could be taking the first step to remove an area of sin or compromise in my life.

Relational - Our friends should be able to see the love of Christ in how we treat others and interact with them. A commitment here could be asking a trusted friend how we might improve in this area. Then, don’t get offended, act on what they say.

Parenting - Being committed to the Cross and transformed by Christ means that we are intentional in our parenting. We are not merely surviving. We are training and equipping. A commitment here could be choosing a practical Bible truth to work with your kids on. Usually this will mean we need to work on it as well. A really practical example would be speaking kindly even when someone frustrates or upsets us.

Marriage - Being committed to the Cross and to Christ means we don’t get the option of bailing on a marriage just because it is hard. As we are being transformed by Christ, we do the hard work of marriage. A commitment here could be putting time to talk with our spouse on the calendar. And then making sure it happens.

COMMITMENT: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are we committed to the Cross?

If we are, then we must keep Christ central and the gospel simple.

A transformed life has Christ at the center.

A transformed life boldly proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our lives are transformed as we read the Word, obey the Word, and spend time in prayer.

Be committed to the Cross.